B-Side - The Book of Jude

See the attached PDF to navigate through today's passage, by clicking the button labeled "Jude Chiasm".

The book of Jude has 25 verses, all arranged as a chiasm: a literary structure wherein the main theme is located in the center of the passage, and the verses surrounding it point to, and flesh out, the central theme.

In Jude, we have 5 sections to the chiasm, structured like this:

A-B-C-D - E - D-C-B-A, with "E" as the central statement.

In Jude, our "A" consists of v1-2 (the intro to the book), and v24-25 (the "outro"-- the famous doxology glorifying God and testifying to the salvation Jesus provides!) We are kept for Jesus (v1) and are kept by God (v24).

Our "B" is v3-4 and v20-23... 3-4 describes contending for the faith among the wicked, and 20-23 shows what we are called to be, and that we are to have mercy on and contend to save the wicked.

Our "C" is v5-7 and v14-20... in 5-7 we have examples of past judgment. In 14-20 we have future judgment!

Our "D" is v8-10 and v12-14... again, past judgment and future judgment. In verse 8, creation has fallen into disorder; Satan wants Michael the Archangel to act like him, but he refuses and simply says "the Lord rebuke you!" God's creation is falling away from what God designed it to be.

And our central theme, our "E" is verse 11... woe to them! They should be kept from stumbling, should be following Jesus into his presence, but instead they "walked in the way of Cain," trading the blessing of belonging to God for the sake of greed and power. They will be swallowed up by the earth as those who perished in Korah's rebellion against Moses.

The central theme of Jude is the judgment that's coming for those who have walked away from the path God has lovingly chosen for his people!